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Chicago Janitors Protest In Solidarity With Their Houston Counterparts (VIDEO)

As part of a nationwide show of support for striking Houston
janitors, members of Chicago’s SEIU Local 1 protested in front of the JP Morgan
Chase building on Wednesday afternoon.

The janitors in Houston have been on strike for almost four
weeks, citing unfair labor practices by cleaning contractors employed by JP
Morgan Chase and other Houston building owners. The contractors pay the Houston
janitors as little as $9,000 a year, which is less than half of the poverty
line for a family of three, according
to the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Protests at
JP Morgan Chase and other business buildings occurred in cities such as Detroit,
St. Louis, Boston, Denver and Los Angeles.

Chicago protestor Ewa Miklewicz, an SEIU Local 1 member
since 1979 and a janitor in the office building located at 230 W. Monroe St., said
the SEIU members rallied to support their “brothers and sisters” who are
fighting in Houston. “They’re on strike right now because employers there offer
them $9,000 a year,” Miklewicz told Progress Illinois. “How can you make a
living, how can you think about putting food on the table, or even pay your
bills?”

She said JP Morgan Chase could make some changes to help the
Houston janitors, if they so choose. “We’re here to tell them that we expect
them to do so,” Miklewicz said. She said she hopes JP Morgan will step in and
help the janitors receive more money, so they can go back to work. A spokesman
from the Houston Contractors Association, which is handling negotiations between
the janitors and contractors, couldn’t be reached for comment.

Robert Pawlaszek, an elite representative at SEIU Local 1,
said the Chicago protestors were determined to show loyalty to their Houston
counterparts and would do whatever it takes to help find a resolution. “We’re
not being unreasonable, and we’re not going to give up until it’s settled,”
said Pawlaszek.

Here's more from the rally:

Wednesday’s SEIU rally in Chicago was peaceful; the group
chanted and Miklewicz gave a speech, but no police officers were present. The
same can’t be said for the protests in Houston, where
five janitors were arrested Tuesday. The members of the group were known as
“Freedom Flyers,” and had flown to Houston to show support. Three of the
arrested janitors are from Chicago.

Janitors in Chicago have had their own labor issues
recently. In June, 50
city janitors were laid off when their contract expired. A non-union shop
was awarded the new contract, and the 50 janitors were not retained.SEIU Local 1 has demanded city council
implement the Responsible Bidders Ordinance, which would place minimum
requirements on worker retention, wages and health care benefits.

One member of city council told Progress Illinois he is in
favor of the Responsible Bidders Ordinance. Ald.
Bob Fioretti (2nd) said the ordinance is a fair deal, as it would guarantee
good jobs with good benefits for workers.

“If Chicago is going to become an affordable city, we need
to have good jobs for all our citizens,” said Fioretti.

However, the alderman said the janitor wage issue doesn’t
resonate with all of his city council colleagues. Fioretti said because of the
vast number of issues Chicago aldermen face, including crime and
infrastructure, the big picture gets lost. The alderman plans to bring up
janitor wages at the next Progressive Caucus meeting.

Yesterday, though, SEIU Local 1 protestors were focused on
their counterparts in Houston. Pawlaszek said because of the oil it produces,
Texas is rich and affluent, and can afford to pay janitors higher wages.
“Houston is the fourth-biggest city in the U.S., behind Chicago, yet the
janitors there make less than half of what the janitors in Chicago make,” he
said. “That’s not right.”